Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic

Mariánské Lázně is a spa town near Karlovy Vary, surrounded by green mountains and a mosaic of parks and noble houses. Most of the buildings in Mariánské Lázně date back to the town's golden era, the second half of the 19th century, when many celebrities and powerful European rulers headed to these lands to enjoy the wonder of the healing springs.

Mariánské Lázně is a town of two hundred years, but its area has been inhabited for much longer. The first written record of the town dates back to 1237, when the village of Usovice was located here. The first document on the healing properties of the springs dates back to 1341 and the credit for discovering these properties is believed to go to Dr. Josef Herr. He was the physician of Tepl Abbey, and in the period from 1779 to 1820, when he died, he worked hard to prove that the water could be used for medicinal purposes. At the beginning of the 20th century, approximately 1 million bottles of mineral water were exported annually from Mariánské Lázně. Mariánské Lázně appeared on the geographical map of Bohemia in 1865. Between 1870 and 1914, architects such as Friedrich Zickler, Josef Schaeffer and Arnold Heymann were brought in to give Mariánské Lázně a proper architectural appearance. Thus were born many new hotels, colonnades and other buildings, some of them brand new, others reconstructed from older houses.

Today, the buildings of the most charming Czech spa resort Mariánské Lázně are glamorous, spectacular and lavishly decorated, but at the same time majestic. The Anglican and Russian Orthodox churches are a must-visit. The latter is advisable to enter, because its altarpiece is said to be the largest porcelain object in the world. The Neo-Byzantine Church of St. Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

As a spa resort, Mariánské Lázně supposedly offers a variety of specialties of its region. But in fact, it's the waffles that are most famous here.

The heart of Mariánské Lázně beats in the curved Colonnade, built of wrought iron in 1898 and resembling a conservatory or a Victorian building. At its southern end is the Singing Fountain, whose beauty is due to the synchronisation between jets and foam with different music every two hours. Behind the Colonnade in Mariánské Lázně looms the building of the Public Museum.

Today, Mariánské Lázně is not only a famous spa town, but also a popular holiday resort thanks to its location among the green hills of Slavkovský les and Hradiště, its sports facilities and its proximity to other famous spa towns such as Karlovy Vary and Franzenbad.